The situation was one that I'd been dealing with for many years with the man who I am almost divorced from. I stood my ground on an argument and didn't retreat. I didn't yell. I didn't throw anything. I simply stated, in the calmest manner I've probably ever used, that I would not agree to what he was asking me to submit to and that he was going to just have to deal with that.

I don't know if he finally understood at that moment that I was done, but I knew that would mark the beginning of the leaving. It was a new year and I had resolved to finally make the break. It takes a lot of preparation to leave when you're the at-home parent with a part time income, but that day, I showed myself that I had the courage to do it. By the summer, we were separated.

For some reason, this tweet has been getting a ton of action today. Someone with an active following must have shared it, which is cool. But the amount of retweets and likes have sort of blown me away. It's like the Police song, Message in a Bottle. You throw a random note out into the ocean of chatter and find that it resonates with strangers out in the void. THAT is what I love about Twitter.

I've had to summon buckets of courage so many times since then. I'm right there again right now, so the likes and shares have come at just the right time. It's like The Universe is gently reminding me what I'm made of.